Family Communication 9/26/19

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Holy Rosary Families,

What a wonderful West Fest weekend we had! I hope you and your families were able to enjoy this special community event. We had incredible weather this year! I’d especially like to thank the many volunteers who make this event possible- especially the chairs who take on a significant role in making the day a success. West Fest is a massive undertaking and it really takes everyone’s help to make it happen. Thank you to everyone involved- we are very grateful!

We’re nearing October, and are in the full swing of things now. I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done to help improve the drop off and pick up traffic flow. Things are moving much more smoothly!

As you start to make your holiday plans, please pay attention to the conference week schedule on the school calendar. Student-lead conferences are held the week of Thanksgiving and we ask you make every effort to schedule a conference during this time period.

Enjoy these first fall days!

In Christ,

Anna

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

On October 7th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Rosary, as we dedicate the entire month to the Rosary as well. These are then, for us, special times and celebrations, as we celebrate our patronal feast of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.

Each and every week, we will pray a decade of the rosary before Mass. I would encourage you to pickup this practice in your homes – even if just once a week. It is always good to reflect on the mysteries of our salvation.

On October 5/6 we will celebrate our Feast Day. After the Sunday Masses we will have our annual Ministry Fair in the School Hall, an opportunity to see the many things happening in our parish community, as we also look for ways to share what we have received in service of one another and our God. Later in the month I will also be inviting everyone to make a pledge of their Time and Talents—to commit to living more fully in communion with and for each other. The life of our community depends on each of its members, as the parts of our one Body of Christ. Gad has given the gifts—it is only a question of what we do with them.

We also hope to have the blessing of our new Carillon Bell System on October 6th at noon. Stay tuned for final confirmation of the date. It will be a wonderful way to celebrate our patronal feast with the completion of our Bell Tower retrofit as well.

During the month of October, we are also taking pictures for a new parish directory—our family picture album. I hope that all of you participate. You can sign up at Sunday Mass or online. You have the opportunity to purchase pictures if you would like. Everyone who participates will receive a free parish directory, and we will have access to an online version as well.

Finally, to end the month, on October 27th at 12:30PM I will be giving a tour of our Church. It will be an opportunity to learn more about the saints, the symbols and all the rest that you see each and every week. We will also have a Faith Formation Family Day that day at 9:30AM to celebrate the upcoming feast of All Saints. The School All Saints celebration with our 4th graders will take place the following Sunday, November 3rd at 10:30AM.

It’s a fun month. Be sure to celebrate our patroness in Heaven – and the gift of our community here below at Holy Rosary.

In Christ,

Fr. Oakland

UPCOMING DATES

October 9th – Parents’ Club meeting

October 11th – No School – Teacher Retreat (BASE open for registered students)

October 24th – Picture Retakes

November 1st – All Saints Mass

November 2nd – Fall Open House

November 2nd – Italian Dinner (following 5pm mass)

November 8th – Family Fun Center (reward for selling 25+ magazines)

November 8th – Mother/Son Glow Bowl (5pm)

NOTES & REMINDERS

8th Grade Pizza Lunch Fundraiser

Tomorrow is our first eight grade pizza lunch of the year! The online order form is no longer available. Please contact Sarah Hartog directly at snjhartog@comcast.net with questions about future pizza lunch days.

School Directory

Over the summer, PowerSchool did a system update. Unfortunately, we have been unable to print the directory. We are actively working on the situation.

Thriftway Receipt Program

This is a reminder to Holy Rosary parents that we are still collecting Thriftway receipts to earn a percentage of your shopping back for Holy Rosary School through their ongoing Receipt Program. Please start shopping more often at Thriftway, which means more money back to our school. You may drop off the receipts in the school office. There is a box placed on the shelf behind the door. Thank you for your continued support.

BASE Program

Our BASE Program currently has space available. if you are interested in registering your child, please contact the Kristin Bentler in the school office for information about available days.

Attendance Reminders From The Main Office

Please notify the main office at office@holyrosaryws.org, as well as your homeroom teacher, if your child is home sick or has an appointment and will be arriving late to school. All students arriving after the tardy bell must sign in at the main office for a tardy slip. Thank you!

We would like to remind parents of school guidelines should your child be sick. It is our goal to keep the school environment as healthy as possible for all children.

A child should be kept home from school in the following situations:

A temperature over 100°F (must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications such as Motrin or Tylenol before returning to school).

Vomiting or diarrhea during the night or in the morning (child should be kept at home for 24 hours from the last episode).

Red, swollen eyes that itch and are draining, or have a crusty appearance upon awakening. A physician will need to evaluate him/her for “pink eye”.

A productive cough not controlled by medication. A child who has been diagnosed with a communicable illness (e.g. chicken pox, impetigo, ringworm, or MRSA) may not return to school without a note from the physician.

A child with live lice should remain home till until no live lice are seen on the child’s scalp.

AHERA Update

Red Cadet Collar Sweatshirts

The Main Office currently has the red Cadet Collar sweatshirts in stock in various sizes. An order form must be completed to pick up a sweatshirt. The Main Office is open M-F from 9am-3pm. For sizes not in stock, a bulk order will be placed October 15th.

ACTION ITEMS

Walking School Bus

We’re looking for a parent volunteer or team of volunteers who would be interested in coordinating a “walking school bus” for the school. This would mean coordinating volunteers who would meet students at a drop off location on the surrounding blocks of the school in the morning and walk groups of kids to school. If you have any interest in coordinating such a program, please reach out to me at ahorton@holyrosaryws.org

Incoming Kindergartener Or New Preschooler?

September 15th-November 15th is the priority application period for parish and current school families for next school year (September 2020-June 2021). If you have a Kindergarten or new Preschool (2s, 3s, PreK) student that you would like to enroll into Holy Rosary School, applications are now due. Holy Rosary prioritizes siblings, but we cannot allocate a spot for your student if we do not have an application by November 15th. All Kindergarten students must have an application submitted. Our Fall Open House is Saturday, November 2nd, 10am-1pm. Any questions, please contact admissions@holyrosaryws.org

EVENTS & FUNDRAISING

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIVES

Magazine Drive

We are on pace to make our goal of $125,000 sold! Keep selling those magazines. Click here to register and sell. Last day to take orders/renewals is October 6th. Remember donations accepted, $25 = 1 subscription. Donate here and share the link with family and friends!

Congrats to the top selling class:

6A

2A

6B

Magazine Drive INCENTIVE: Sell 5 NEW subscriptions, per student, between September 23 (9PM) and September 30 (9PM) to receive a chance to play PLINKO at the Magazine Drive final assembly. PLINKO is usually reserved only for those that sell 50+ subscriptions, but 1 lucky student will play no matter how many they have sold! Amazing prizes appear on the PLINKO board, such as: Nintendo Switch, AirPods, amazon gift cards, sports tickets and more. SELL TODAY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO PLAY PLINKO!!!

*Free dress passes earned from the last incentive will come home today or tomorrow.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We are in need of volunteers for the Family Fun Center trip on November 8. Depart HRS around 10am on Kennedy High School buses and return at 2pm. All students that sell 25+ magazines or families that sell 40+ are eligible to attend. Volunteers do not need to have a child attending to chaperone. All parents must be Safe Environment cleared, contact Beth Martin if interested.

WestFest

Another successful WestFest in the books. Thank you for coming out and supporting this community building effort.

Many thanks to all the volunteers who planned WestFest and worked shifts over the weekend. It really takes a village to pull this event off. Special SHOUT OUT to those that took the lead in areas: Marianne Wintermute, Mike Curran, Jodi Sherwood, Lori Ho, John & Hokly Dolan, Jessica Murphy, Andrea Geraghty and Melissa Ardales.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

CYO Basketball

CYO Basketball registration for players in grades 4-8 is open and all registrations are through Team Sideline. Go here if it is your first time registering: https://teamsideline.com/Team/Register.aspx You will need to scroll down past soccer and cross country.

Discovering Chess

Our Holy Rosary chess class will be offered again this year starting in October and running every Thursday through May. We will meet from 3-3:45 in room 7A. Cost will be $15 a month and will be charged to your FACTS account. I have room for 30 students. Please email mritscher@holyrosaryws.org to get on the class list. Thanks, Mr. Ritscher

PARISH NEWS

Shoulder to Shoulder

Shoulder to Shoulder is a community of Holy Rosary parishioners who help each other when it is needed. When one of our parishioners is ill, grieving, homebound, struggling to get by, living independently over age eighty, or simply overwhelmed–we work together, shoulder to shoulder. This flyer illustrates ways in which we work together to provide assistance, as needed. To request assistance, call the church office at 206-935-8353 or email shoulder@holyrosarywseattle.org.

Holy Rosary Parish Ministry Fair

Save the Date…Holy Rosary Parish Ministry Fair, October 6, School Hall after both 8:30am and 10:30am Mass

This is a great opportunity to learn more about all the amazing ministries that Holy Rosary Parish has. Did you know that volunteering at your Church counts towards School general hours. There will also be Coffee and Donuts along with children activities.

Bell Tower & Bell System

Blessing for our Bell Tower and new Bell System, October 6 at Noon.Thank you to all who have contributed to our retrofitting and repair of our Holy Rosary Bell Tower! Come celebrate our new Bell System during the Ministry Fair on October 6.

Youth Confirmation!

This year, Holy Rosary is offering Confirmation preparation for all youth in middle school and high school (grades 7 through 12). If you would like to receive the sacrament of Confirmation in February of 2020, please register them at https://holyrosaryseattle.org/youth-confirmation. Our first meeting will be on Sunday, September 29 at 6:30pm. We’re also looking for parents to assist as volunteers (This counts toward your general volunteer hours!). If you have any questions about Confirmation, please contact Bridget Bicek at PAYouth@holyrosaryseattle.org.

Opportunities for Adults

We offer several ways to celebrate and grow closer to the risen Christ:

Catechetical Certification Program – Holy Rosary and OLG are hosting a one-year program to be certified as a teacher of the faith: a Catechist! This is a foundational, sequential, and pastoral program for parish staff, volunteers, adult learners, and parents of homeschoolers! It provides a foundation for knowing, living, and teaching our Catholic faith for only $75! More info and registration at weebly.com/ccp.html.

Inquiry – an open-ended discussion of life, the universe, and everything from a Catholic point of view! If you or someone you know has questions about the Catholic faith, invite them to come! All are welcome and no topic is off limits! We meet twice a month in the Parish Office, and our next meeting will be Tuesday, October 1. Our topic will be “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

Becoming Catholic – The formal process of becoming Catholic, The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is beginning! We meet on Thursday evenings at 6:00pm in the Music Room of the Parish Center. No commitment necessary! Come see what being Catholic is all about!

Adult Confirmation – Confirmation strengthens you for doing Christ’s work in the world, and qualifies you to be a sponsor or godparent for others. If you were baptized as a Catholic but never Confirmed, it’s not too late! Our next meeting will be October 8 at 6:30pm

Bible Study – We are studying St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians on Wednesday mornings at 9:30am in the Parish Center. Join us for insight into Christian living in a secular culture! Register on our website: org/adult-scripture-study or just drop by! All are welcome!

Women With Purpose – Join us for a new series this fall as we learn about Mary in “A Scriptural Journey with Mary” by Jeanne Kun. Meetings are Wednesday evening, 7:15-9:00pm or Friday mornings, 9:15-11:00am. Both groups meet in the Parish Center Reception Room and childcare is provided for the Friday group. For registration: go to org/wwp-registration. For questions or to order a book, email Deyette at dswegle@holyrosaryseattle.org.

Formed – It’s like Amazon Prime for Catholics, and it’s free! For a wealth of videos, audiobooks, ebook, and other resources, sign up at formed.org today!

Saint of the Week

Every week, we highlight a particular saint. This week, we celebrate the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Angels are part of the larger world beyond our physical senses. But sometimes God sends them visibly to show us how the spiritual world impacts the material world. Michael demonstrates God’s supremacy; Gabriel, His will for our lives; and Raphael, His care and healing. When life is difficult or confusing we can ask the angels for guidance and protection from beyond what we can see or feel. Their feast is September 29.

RCIA Adapted for Children

Holy Rosary Church welcomes children ages 7-18 years old who have never been baptized, along with their families, on a journey of preparation for initiation into the Catholic Church. We also welcome children who are already baptized in another Christian Tradition and have the desire to become part of the Catholic community. If interested in RCIA and becoming Catholic, please contact Sr. Stella at srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org or call at 206-937-1488 ext. 252

Time For Altar Server Training

Time for Altar Server training–for new and continuing altar servers. Training is required in order to serve. You can sign up now using our Signup Genius link:

Girls and boys in grades 5, 6, 7, 8 and High School can serve the holy people of God during Mass. When we join in the Mass, we remember Jesus and give thanks and praise for all the good things that God does for us.

Altar Servers assist the whole church in praying. They carry the crucifix, candles and books at Mass. They prepare the altar so that bread and wine can become the Body and Blood of Christ!

The priests and the other ministers who help us celebrate the Mass rely on the altar servers so that we can all receive Christ by hearing the Word of God and receiving the Eucharist.

Servers are trained after school or in the evening. Current altar servers receive follow-up training.

NOTE: Older altar servers can become MC’s (Master of Ceremonies) and lead the other servers at Mass!

Tue., October 1 6:30-8:30pm

We will train all altar servers together–new and old. This helps the new servers learn quicker and helps refresh older servers.

Location: church sacristy

2019 Church Directory

Holy Rosary is thrilled to announce we have invited Lifetouch Photography back to create our 2019 Church Directory. The first session dates are October 7-12th. The second session dates are October 21st– 26th.The session times are Monday thru Friday from 1:00 pm until 8:10 pm, Saturday sessions are 10:00 am until 5:10 pm. Schedule your Photography Session. Use this link, the link on Holy Rosary Parish Website or sign up before and after mass in the Church

Once you are logged into this site click on login in, this will enable you to create an account. From here you can choose an appointment time. This site is active Monday afternoons thru Friday mornings to allow us time to enter paper session request from the weekend masses. Lifetouch has kindly offered to return in November during the week of Thanksgiving to give those families with college age children the opportunity to be included in the portrait session. In order for this to happen they will need a significant number of families to show interest in a third session.

New This Fall: We will compose stories on manual typewriters from the collection of Mr. Greg Estes! Join kids from local schools as we read and rewrite a classic children’s story. In the second half, children write their own stories and a great party is had at the end! Space limited! To enroll, contact Ms. Julia at: juliawsea@gmail.com or text (574) 400-9362.

VFW Announces Youth Essay Scholarship Competition

This is a VFW Washington State Department competition for students in Grades 3-5. The theme is: “How I would encourage respect to the Flag of the United States“ and be 250 words or less. Please see ‘programs’ at: https://vfwwa.org/.

About 30 students from the following participated in 2018: Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Holy Rosary School, and home school.

VFW West Seattle Post 2713 increases awards for 2019/2020:

Youth Essay (grades 3-5)

1st – $100

2nd – $75

3rd – $50

This program is completely voluntary, a student (including home schooled) does not have to go through their school to participate.

VFW announces scholarship competition

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2713, in West Seattle, announces this year’s VFW’s Patriot’s Pen competition (grades 6-8). The national first-place winner wins $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The essay patriotic theme is: “What Makes America Great” and be between 300-400 words. Completed entry form must be submitted to the VFW Post by Oct. 31, 2019. Local Post winners compete at the District level, winners advance to the state.